American Gothic 1.Inability to overcome perversity by rational thought 2.Sucked in by rational ideals in irrational situations 3.Fear the unknown or future.

American Gothic

1. Inability to overcome perversity by rational thought

2. Sucked in by rational ideals in irrational situations

3. Fear the unknown or future

4. Existence is horrifying destruction and loss

5. Almost synonymous with dark romanticism

•Gargoyles—carvings of small deformed creatures squatting at the corners and crevices of Gothic cathedrals—were supposed to ward off evil spirits, but they often look more like demonic spirits themselves.

•Think of the gargoyle as a mascot of Gothic, and you will get an idea of the kind of imaginative distortion of reality that Gothic represents.

Gothic vs. RomanticismRomantic writers celebrated the beauties of nature.

Gothic writers were peering into the darkness at the supernatural.

Romanticism developed as a reaction against the rationalism of the Age of Reason. The romantics freed the

imagination from the hold of reason, so they could follow their imagination wherever it might lead.

For some Romantics, when they looked at the individual, they saw hope (think “A Psalm of Life”).

For some Romantic writers, the imagination led to the threshold of the unknown—the shadowy region where the fantastic, the demonic and the insane reside. When the Gothic's saw the

individual, they saw the potential of evil.

Edgar Allan Poe His stories have:

Settings that featuring○ Dark, medieval castles○ Decaying ancient estates

Characters that are○ Male—insane○ Female—beautiful and dead (or dying)

Plots that include○ Murder○ Live burials○ Physical and mental torture○ Retribution from beyond the grave

For Poe, it was only in these extreme situations that people revealed their true nature.

The Gothic dimension of Poe’s fictional world offered him a way

to explore the human mind in these extreme situations and so arrive at

an essential truth

Edgar Allan Poe

1809-1849

Edgar Allan Poe• 1809-1849

• Born in Boston

• The son of traveling actors

• Tragic and unhappy life

• Mother died, father deserted him at the age of two

• New mother (Mrs. Allan) died

• In 1836 married his 14 year old cousin, Virginia

• She died of tuberculosis at a young age

• Last 12 years of life worked as a journalist, editor, and creative writer

• Died in Baltimore after he was found in a drunken stupor

Even though John Allan had plenty of money, he only gave Edgar about a third of what he needed. Although Edgar had done well in Latin and French, he started to drink heavily and quickly became in debt. He had to quit school less than a year later.

Edgar Allan had no money, no job skills, and had been shunned by John Allan. Edgar went to Boston and joined the U.S. Army in 1827. He was 18. He did reasonably well in the Army and attained the rank of sergeant major. In 1829, Mrs. Allan died and John Allan tried to be friendly towards Edgar and signed Edgar's application to West Point.

In 1830, Edgar Allan entered West Point as a cadet. He didn't stay long because John Allan refused to send him any money. It is thought that Edgar purposely broke the rules and ignored his duties so he would be dismissed.

In 1831, Edgar Allan Poe went to New York City where he had some of his poetry published. He submitted stories to a number of magazines and they were all rejected. Poe had no friends, no job, and was in financial trouble. He sent a letter to John Allan begging for help but none came. John Allan died in 1834 and did not mention Edgar in his will.

On October 3, 1849, Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore delirious, "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance", according to the man who found him, Joseph W. Walker. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849, at 5:00 in the morning

The actual cause of death remains a mystery.

The Raven

ONCE upon a midnight dreary,

while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping,

suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

ONCE upon a midnight dreary,

while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping,

suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

ONCE upon a midnight dreary,

while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping,

suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

ONCE upon a midnight dreary,

while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping,

suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

Assonance – the repetition of vowel sound, usually within words.